Apparatus for treating vegetable fibers



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 1.

A. ANGELL.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBERS. No. 245,425. A Patented Aug9,1881.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

(No Model) A. ANGELL APPARATUS FOR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBERS.

Patented Aug. 9,-1881.

N. PETERS. Phclolllhnguphcn Washxnglon. n. c.

TJNITE o ALBERT ANGELL, OF EAST ORANGE, NElV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,425, dated August9, 1881.

(No model.)

My invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of therollers.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 represents a transx erse vertical section of niyapparatus, theplane of section being indicated by the line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is asectional side view. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan or top view.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letter A designates a frame composed of two endpieces, a. a, which are connected by bars I) b. By referring to Fig. 1it will be seen that the end pieces, a a, are constructed with recessesc 0, so that the frame A can be placed over a tank or vat, B, the topedge of which rises above the bars I) I). These bars are set on edge,and they are provided with a series of slots, (1 d, each of which isdeep enough to receive twojournal-boxes, c e, and a spring, f, whichpresses on the upper journal-box, c, and is held in position by a topbar, g, one of which is secured to the upper edge of each of the barsI). The journal-boxes e 6 form the bearings for the axles of thesqueezing-rollers O O, which are arranged in pairs close together, allthe lower rollers being in one and the same plane, with the exception ofthe last two pairs of rollers, O O O G, the roller 0 beingplacedsomewhat abovethelevel of the rollers O, and the roller 0* somewhatabove the level of 0 as shown in Fig. 2.

On one end of the axle of each of the rollers G is mounted a worm-wheel,w, and all these worm-wheels engage with an endless screw, h, which hasits bearings in boxes 6 secured to the frame A, and to which a rapidrevolving motion is imparted by a belt and a pulley, D, or by any othersuitable means. By the action of the screw h, therefore, all the rollersO in the gang receive a revolving motion, and since the upper rollers,O, are depressed upon the lower rollers by the spring f, the upperrollers revolve by frictional contact. The elevated roller 0 is gearedwith the last roller 0 in the gang by cog-wheelsj 75, Figs. 1 and 3, andthe roller 0 is geared with the roller 0 by cogwheels Z at, so that arevolving motion is also imparted to these rollers.

The tankB is filled with water to a level about half an inch (more orless) above the lines of contact between the rollers O O, and it isprovided with an overflow-pipe, n, so that a constant level can bemaintained. The fibers, after having been freed from pith and bark, arewell boiled in water or in an alkaline solution, and they are thenpassed through between the gang of rollers, being fed in at the end a,Fig.

3, of the frame A. .In passing through between the successive pairs ofrollers the fiber is first squeezed, and as the same in its passage fromone pair of rollers to the next is submerged under water, the loose gumis separated before it reaches the nest pair of squeezing-rollers, andin this manner the fiber is subjected to alternating squeezing andwashing actions within the water in the tank, and as these operationsare repeated the amount of gum contained in the fiber is graduallylessened until said fiber, as itreaches the rollers O G, has becomeentirely freed from gum. On reaching the rollers O O G O the fiber isgradually raised out of the water, and by the action of these rollersthe water yet contained in the fiber is squeezed out, and the fiberfinally discharged over the end a of the frame A in a comparatively drystate. To effect this purpose in the best possible manner I prefer tomake the rollers O O O G of india-rubber, similar to the rollers ofclothes-wringers, while the rollers O O are made of metal, and slightlyroughened on their surfaces, so that they take a firm hold of the fibersand carry the same forward without fail.

It is most essential that during the squeezing and washing process ofthe fiber the water in the tank B shall be kept as clean as possible,and for this reason a good supply of runnin g water must be admitted tothe tank.

The fibers are fed to the machine in bunches,

which must be somewhat spread out, but not too much to prevent them fromwrapping round the rollers. Care must be taken to feed the bunchesstraight to the machine, and to keep them straight until they'havepassed almost I entirely through the first pair of rollers. After thatthey will go straight of their own accord. The rollers are turned at therate of about forty revolutions per minute. After the fibers have beensqueezed and washed they are dried, and the same machine may be used forsoftening and taking out the stiffness. This, of course, is done withoutany water. After having thus prepared the fiber it is ready for balin Ido not broadly claim rollers arranged in a tank of water for squeezingand releasing the fiber while under water, as such is old and wellknown.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a tank containing water, of an upper and a lowerseries of rollers, O 0, one of which series is adapted to yield, andeach series arranged in the same horizontal plane, the wringer-rollers CO O and 0 arranged above the plane of the rollers G O at one end of thewater-tank, for taking the fiber directly from the rollers, andmechanism gearing allot said rollers together for rotating them inunison, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and sealin thepreseneeof two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT ANGELL. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses MARTIN DENNIS, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

